Research Initiatives

Dr. Bene’s current research interests include building a national surgical database to prospectively track patient reported and surgical outcomes, with the goal of informing evidence-based guidelines and advocating for expanded access to affirming care.

Dr. Bruckman’s clinical research is focused on improving outcomes related to orthognathic surgery, as well as investigating disorders of the temporomandibular joint. He is also collaborating on numerous basic science projects including multi-omic analysis of temporomandibular joint disorders and regeneration of cartilage in the craniofacial skeleton.

Dr. Chang’s past research interests involved oral oncology and implantology as well as exploring salivary markers as indicators of cardiac disease. Recently, she has been pursuing evidence-based measures to improve workplace efficiency and wellness.

Dr. Chang's basic science research interests include modulation of Transforming Growth Factor-Beta in scarless flexor tendon wound healing and tissue engineered flexor tendon grafts for hand reconstruction. He has expertise in molecular biology and tissue engineering techniques and their applications to plastic and hand surgery research. Dr. Chang is the recipient of numerous grants including two recent multi-year Federal Merit Review Awards on “Tissue Engineered Flexor Tendon Grafts for Extremity Reconstruction” and “Optimization of Bioengineered Tendons Using Bioreactors and Stem Cells”. He has been federally-funded for his research since 1998.

Dr. Choo is an orthodontic surgeon and innovator with the focus on safe and effective treatments for neonatal and infantile respiratory distress, dysphasia, and facial disfigurement as well as pediatric obstructive sleep apnea and craniofacial deformities.  She developed the Stanford Orthodontic Airway Plate treatment protocol for Robin sequence and Biocreative Alveolar Molding Plate treatment protocol for cleft lip and palate. Her research focuses on clinical innovations and treatment outcome analyses from the transdisciplinary perspectives in orthodontics, surgery, and medicine

Dr. Curtin's main research focus uses analysis of data from the Electronic Health Record to improve post-surgical pain care. Her clinical research focuses on advancing the care of nerve injuries, and improving upper limb function in people with spinal cord injury. She is committed to exploring the potential of data-driven solutions to improve outcomes and reduce the burden of surgical pain. 

Dr. Fox’s basic science lab focuses on two main topics: muscle recovery after nerve compression and 2) targeted topical treatments for chronic wounds. Dr. Fox is currently studying the correlation between the severity of nerve compression and muscle changes in humans as well as the role of surgical intervention and exercise in recovery. For chronic wounds, her lab is specifically interested in the changing microbiome of human wounds and the options for topical treatments. Dr. Fox’s clinical research focuses on sustainability in the operating room and clinic specifically examining ways we can reduce waste and eliminate single use plastic.

Dr. Gaudilliere's research is focused on the intersection of oral and systemic health, oral surgical education techniques and implantology, and local and systemic immunology of oral pathologies. She has ongoing projects probing immunology to treat disease and improve outcomes using Mass Cytometry (CyTOF) analysis of clinical samples. Specifically, she is working on a system-wide analysis of the systemic immune consequences of periodontitis as well as analyzing the tumor immune microenvironment in oral squamous cell carcinoma and its relationship with clinical outcomes using imaging mass cytometry.

Dr. Helm's longevity research focuses on understanding why healing slows as we age. Many such age-related changes can be traced back to sluggish stem cells, and her group has developed methods to re-activate a patient’s own stem cells for therapeutic intervention in a broad range of conditions affecting bone, cartilage, skin, and hair and beyond. 

Conducting clinically relevant research is her main objective, but it goes hand-in-hand with another goal: she believed that education is one of the most important tools to improving human health, and aims to use every avenue available to transform the way people think about science and medicine, and emphasize its contribution to their daily lives.

Dr. Kahn's research interests include evaluating how the face ages and rejuvenation techniques, functional rhinoplasty, and cosmetic and reconstructive breast surgery. He is a member of the in-service examination committee for the Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation, an associate editor of e-Plasty, and an invited reviewer for several peer review journals. 

Dr. Khosla's research interest is in understanding the basis for a class of birth defects known as craniosynostoses, which cause premature closure of some or all of the head sutures. Children who are affected by this condition display characteristic phenotypes according to the suture or sutures involved. Restricted normal growth of the skull can lead to increased intracranial pressure and changes in brain morphology, which in turn may contribute to neurocognitive deficiency. Management has primarily focused on surgical correction of fused sutures prior to 12 months of age to optimize correction of the deformity and to ameliorate the effects of increased intracranial pressure. However, emphasis has recently shifted to better understanding the pathogenesis of neurocognitive impairment observed in these children, along with genetic mutations that contribute to premature suture fusion. He believes that this understanding will provide opportunities for earlier and more specific neurocognitive interventions and for the development of targeted genetic therapy to prevent pathologic suture fusion.

Dr. Longaker’s research focuses on wound repair and regeneration. He made the discovery that early gestation embryonic wound healing occurs in a scar free manner and then transitions to scar formation late in gestation as a postdoc at UCSF in the late 1980s.

Over the past three decades, he’s focused on achieving scar free healing in adult animals. In 2021, his laboratory achieved this goal in an article in Science. He continues to pursue wound regeneration and now has broaden his interest into fibrosis that occurs in multiple organs, including lung, liver and intestines. Finally, he is currently pursuing an IND using verteporfin to inhibit fibroblast mechanotransduction.

Dr. Lorenz's research interests primarily revolve around the intricate processes of scar formation and wound healing. He is particularly focused on the distinct phenomenon of scarless wound healing observed in early-gestation fetal skin. His research aims to unravel the underlying mechanisms responsible for this unique healing ability, with the ultimate objective of translating these insights into improved healing strategies for individuals of all age groups. Dr. Lorenz's investigations span fetal cell properties, extracellular matrix components, cytokine profiles, and gene expression patterns to comprehend the complex interplay that leads to scarless healing. Through his dedicated work, he strives to shed light on the mechanisms governing scar formation and contribute to innovative approaches for enhancing healing outcomes in clinical practice.

Dr. Luan's research interests are in translational research and clinical outcomes. She has particular interests in improving patient care and outcomes by leveraging advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, including machine learning and deep learning

Dr. Miller’s research interests include clinical outcomes for microsurgical patients and for patient after traumatic hand injuries. He has an interest in innovation and is a co-inventor and patent holder for a medical device used to hold coiled surgical tools and catheters.

Dr. Murphy pursues research in multiple facets of reconstructive surgery. His current research interests include biomechanical testing of commonly used alloplastic material for calvarial reconstruction and reconstructive outcomes in degenerative patterns of wrist arthritis.

Dr. Momeni’s research focuses on improving patient safety and clinical outcomes following post-mastectomy breast reconstruction through prospective clinical trials. Active trials investigate areas such as VTE prevention, restoration of sensation, and improvement of scar appearance following microsurgical breast reconstruction. Additionally, Dr. Momeni has active collaborations with the Hagey laboratory so that the understanding of molecular mechanisms (e.g., response to ADM placement in breast reconstruction) can be leveraged to improving outcomes in clinical practice. 

Dr. Nazerali’s research interests are broad and span the spectrum of plastic surgery. Current studies range from systematic reviews to retrospective reviews to national database studies on trends in reconstruction and aesthetics. He has a specific interest in breast reconstruction, microsurgery, technology in plastic surgery and patient reported outcomes. Current active projects range from Head and Neck Reconstruction, Breast Reconstruction and Abdominal Wall Restoration. As the founder of the Consortium for Advancement in Research and Education (CARE) in Plastic Surgery, Dr. Nazerali helps coordinate and engage medical students, residents, fellows and practicing plastic surgeons across the country.

Dr. Nguyen's research interests include clinical, basic science, and translational research in breast reconstruction and lymphedema treatment. She is researching techniques to enhance sensation recovery after mastectomy, methods to improve mastectomy and nipple skin survival after mastectomy, and new means to recreate the breast with implants and/or autologous tissues to restore symmetry and a natural appearance. In addition, she performs preclinical studies in small animal lymphedema model and led advances in surgical treatment and prevention of lymphedema using tissue engineering scaffolds to enhance lymphatic regeneration.

Dr. Sen's research interests encompass a diverse range of areas within the field of plastic and hand surgery. His focus lies in conducting peer-reviewed research on topics such as extremity reconstruction and peripheral nerve regeneration. Dr. Sen's interests extends to medical device innovation, a field in which he is actively involved as a faculty fellow at the Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign.

Dr. Shem has research interest in the management of oral complications related to cancer therapy, with experience caring for patients with osteoradionecrosis, medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw, and immunotherapy-related adverse events.

Dr. Sheckter‘s research involves multiple lines of investigation within health policy and health services research. He has a KL-2 award aimed at understanding the effects of private equity investment in ambulatory surgery centers. He is working towards benchmarking health equity grades for burn centers in the US and understanding systemic drivers of low equity care. As part of the American Burn Association Prevention Committee, he studies the link between structural racism and thermal injury. Finally, he is creating a decision aid to reduce decisional regret and improve satisfaction with reconstructive burn surgery.

Research interests of Dr. Sorice’s include patient reported and psychosocial outcomes after breast cancer and holistic, multi-disciplinary approaches in caring for breast cancer patients.

Dr. Wan's research interests are centered around understanding the intricate relationship between birth defects and surgical reconstruction planning. Notably, he focuses on rare conditions such as Pierre Robin sequence and Treacher Collins syndrome, both of which are associated with mandibular hypoplasia. Dr. Wan's recent research endeavors involve a meticulous comparison of mandibular morphology in children afflicted by these conditions, utilizing advanced three-dimensional analysis of computed tomographic scans. Through his investigations, he has illuminated distinct patterns of mandibular hypoplasia in patients with Pierre Robin sequence and Treacher Collins syndrome when compared to normal controls.